Secret experimental 1964 GX 455

[Brian]

Resistor wire is built into the engine harness, so power is 12v at the firewall connector behind the fusebox.  You can easily un-wrap the engine harness and replace the resistor wire with a regular piece if wire, then re-wrap the harness.  Ign lock cyl comes out with a piece of wire in the acc position as you said.

[Loren At 65GS]

 You're most likely going to have to re-wire the engine harness for the 455.  Another option for the ignition wire would be to use a relay and use the original pink wire to trigger the relay. By doing that, you can pull direct 12v from battery to power the ignition.  All the wires in the engine harness for the ignition are 18 gauge wire. Most HEI need 10 gauge to handle the amp draw. 

 As for the seat belt buckle. I use a couple of tools called a skin wedge to lever the pieces apart. They are a little tricky to disassemble . I'm not sure I could give adequate instruction how to get them apart here.

  Loren 

[yachtsmanbill]

Well... Popped the bulkhead connector apart, AGAIN, and immediately saw the resistor wire, and things being as they are, I managed to destroy the pin connector coming out of the block.

WHERE CAN I GET ONE OR A PACKAGE OF 10??

There was no glue left on the wire loom tape, so I am upgrading to the slit black corrugated plastic sleeve stuff with a few tabs of tape to keep it looking good. In the middle of this, Pat called asking for a hand with groceries. So here I am for a few minutes.

If anyone has the connector or wants to cut the engine side plug off a bad harness, I'll gladly take it!!! This is a NO A.C. unit BTW.

Thanks guys... Bill

[Loren At 65GS]

Well... Popped the bulkhead connector apart, AGAIN, and immediately saw the resistor wire, and things being as they are, I managed to destroy the pin connector coming out of the block.

WHERE CAN I GET ONE OR A PACKAGE OF 10??

Thanks guys... Bill

  Bill , I have new ones in stock.  I'll get a couple on the way to you.  By the way , the speedo cable arrived.  Thank you

  Loren

[yachtsmanbill]

Thanks Loren! Thats what makes this a great community! Glad the cable showed up. I wire wheeled the trans end, but didnt have a chance to clean it proppa!  Bill

[Loren At 65GS]

Thanks Loren! Thats what makes this a great community! Glad the cable showed up. I wire wheeled the trans end, but didnt have a chance to clean it proppa!  Bill

 Both cable and trans end look great.  I'll get 10 of those terminals out to you USPS tomorrow. By the way they are called twin lock terminals.

Thanks again,
  Loren

[yachtsmanbill]

33,000 easy gramma miles on that cable Loren! Hope it works for ya...

Got my break in gages set up today. The mechanical temp gage bulb needs a different base fitting. The gage came outa my 72, but the base is somewhere in oblivion. I grabbed a fitting outa the drawer today, but it doesnt draw down tight. Otherwise its a "GO". This is what I need, in 1/2" pipe tho...

https://www.stewartwarner.com/product/temperature-thread-adapter-nut-pn-72446-f/

Got the battery cables mocked up for testing. I can park the battery on a stool for testing now, instead of a battery charger. How archaic! The brass plated clamp is a good'n from the boat pile. Ordered a NEW, one wire DELCOTRON alternator from ebay today for 57.50 with free shipping, no core. Cant beat that! I was gonna get a chrome unit from another seller, but he couldnt answer my questions, so Im going with the OEM look.

  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Delco-10SI-Alternator-High-output-110AMP-1-wire-Self-Exciting-SBC-BBC-GM-7127B/291964650440?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Spent another two hours spring cleaning the other shop. Now I can store the engine hoist and new rally wheels and a ton of other stuff in there so I can do some booty duty on the Special... Rear shocks, springs and brake lines... Oh, and the drive shaft. Ill have that stuff done before the new alternator shows up Tuesday; I hope!  Bill

[elagache]

Dear Bill and mid-60s Buick restorers,

. . . .
Ordered a NEW, one wire DELCOTRON alternator from ebay today for 57.50 with free shipping, no core. Cant beat that! I was gonna get a chrome unit from another seller, but he couldnt answer my questions, so Im going with the OEM look.
. . .

. . . . Oh da' shame!  Not a chrome alternator?  Don't you know it don't mean a thing if it don't got that bling! . . . .

Cheers, Edouard 

[yachtsmanbill]

Dont wanna draw any un-due attention to the judges!  Bill

[yachtsmanbill]

"... and the judge took a giant gasp as he was about to render his decision..."

Well Wun Fun Tung got me again. The new alternator came in today from Virginia, supposedly built in Jooroozlem by the PLO, but really came from the gulag. Par for the course for 50.00 ya know? Hung Lo designed the case to be about .050" too tall on a screw boss on the backside. If I tightened it something wouldve busted for sure. AH SO!! Took a file and swiped about .060 off for .010 clearance... Put that in yer rice bowl and smoke it!

Core support bushings are missing a few parts. I think these are the lowers for each side, but missing the tops. Another standstill LOL.

Toy radiator should be OK for a dyno run around the block, but capacity will be marginal. Suction side (bottom fitting ) is OK, but the tops is gonna take a weird hose to connect... Bill

[elagache]

Dear Bill and mid-60s Buick owners who prefer "made in da' USofA!"

"... and the judge took a giant gasp as he was about to render his decision..."

Well Wun Fun Tung got me again. The new alternator came in today from Virginia, supposedly built in Jooroozlem by the PLO, but really came from the gulag. Par for the course for 50.00 ya know? Hung Lo designed the case to be about .050" too tall on a screw boss on the backside. If I tightened it something wouldve busted for sure. AH SO!! Took a file and swiped about .060 off for .010 clearance... Put that in yer rice bowl and smoke it!

Bummer on the alternator made in dat utter place, but indeed it was a bargain.  You can find alternators made in the United States, but they will cost ya'.

Toy radiator should be OK for a dyno run around the block, but capacity will be marginal. Suction side (bottom fitting ) is OK, but the tops is gonna take a weird hose to connect...

Gulp!  That radiator looks small even for a 300 V-8.  Is it worth the hassles to getting it to fit considering the weird hose issue?  Perhaps you should switch into scrounging mode and see if you can't scare up a radiator that is a bit more substantial.

Cheers, Edouard 

[yachtsmanbill]

Gulp!  That radiator looks small even for a 300 V-8.  Is it worth the hassles to getting it to fit considering the weird hose issue?  Perhaps you should switch into scrounging mode and see if you can't scare up a radiator that is a bit more substantial.

I agree. I need to get the core support in before I try anything for a fit. Hopefully have some core support bushings coming this week (wink wink) so I can move onto that phase. SUGGESTIONS Obi Wan Kenobi??

Took the wire cutters to the bomber today. What a relief. A one wire alternator to the starter post, that also feeds the fuses. A single ignition wire thats hot when cranking or just "ON", and one wire from the switch to the solenoid for the crank signal. All that old regulator crap is GAWN. Fresh clean connections and a few soldered joints.

Took 5 minutes to pull the starboard side manifold to get at the starter. Not show quality, but then I bring the show with me LOL.  Bill

https://youtu.be/iEM9xEVd5lc
https://youtu.be/iEM9xEVd5lc
So far the dome light works, right rear turn signal works. wipers and washers work, radio hummed then quit (FUSE??), and no sparks disconnecting battery in the dark. Im good with that. Im right where I wanna be... for tonight! One pic shows a dangling participle... I think its the GEN light wire from the regulator. 

[elagache]

Dear Bill and mid-60s Buick restorers,

I agree. I need to get the core support in before I try anything for a fit. Hopefully have some core support bushings coming this week (wink wink) so I can move onto that phase. SUGGESTIONS Obi Wan Kenobi??

What are you hoping to find?  Are you hoping to find a part from a donor vehicle or an aftermarket radiator?  Biquette has a cross-flow radiator from TA-Performance that is listed to fit 1964-67 A-bodies.  So that would be the field of possible donor vehicles.  People have been very creative with aftermarket radiators if you want to explore that route.  The board "down da' hall" probably is the best reference for that.  Any other suggestions 65GS.com folks?

Took 5 minutes to pull the starboard side manifold to get at the starter. Not show quality, but then I bring the show with me LOL.

Nice to see the engine turning over!

So far the dome light works, right rear turn signal works. wipers and washers work, radio hummed then quit (FUSE??)

That's all progress.  Are you going to make an effort to get the OEM radio to work or is that just a luxury item?

Keep up the good work!

Cheers, Edouard 

[yachtsmanbill]

The first sound that radio made was a loud MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, then nada. A.M. sucked 40 years ago and im sure it hasnt improved LOL.  Probably some stoopid blooteef thing in the glove box to make more noise than the monster motor.

Pretty tapped out on SIRUS radio too. If anyone listens to it with a tuned eaar, youll notice that even tho you are paying for original artists (copyrighted stuff) a lot of the songs lyrics were changed by dubbing in a few key words, or being played by tribute bands. Ill be happy with a 2" exhaust blowing outa da back!   Bill

[WkillGS]

Radiator.....
The generic aluminum radiators fit the late 65-67 well, but your 64 had the downflow rad as original. It has a different bottom cradle than the crossflow rad support. I don't know if there is enough difference to make the alum rad not fit.